Decoy - Recap

In East Germany, Anna Kerkoska comes home early from a reception and discovers that her brother Alexi is preparing to shoot himself. He explains that he didn’t want her to see and that there is going to be a purge of all of their dead father’s surviving men in the government as well as Alexi himself. Anna insists that they run away, but Alexi tells them that they couldn’t get help to even cross the border. When he points out that even the Americans won’t help them, Anna suggests that she go to the American ambassador and ask for help. However, Alexi then remembers the document that their father gave to her and suggests that she trade it to the Americans for their freedom. He hesitates to ask her to give it up, but Anna vows to save his life no matter what. She tells Alexi that she’ll meet with the American ambassador and tell him that they want to defect, and that they’ll trade the document. Alexi puts the gun away and thanks her. However, once Anna leaves, Colonel Petrovich comes in from the next room and congratulates Alexi on his performance. Now all they have to do is watch Anna until she gets the document.

Jim goes to a campground to pick up his briefing from a camp counselor’s backpack. He’s informed that Premier Kerkoska gave her daughter Anna a secret list of the names of men in his government who want to open American relations. The IMF knows that Alexi is plotting to get the list and capture American agents. Jim and his team must get the list and help Anna escape.

At the team briefing, Jim figures that they have to take the bait without falling into the trap. Dana confirms that the visas are ready and the publishing company is glad to cooperate with them. Marcus Danov died three months ago, unnoticed, and they’ll be using his identity. Barney reports that their shipment of auto parts is on the way. Once Anna escapes, Barney and Willy can leave the country in safety after the heat is off. The mortuary they plan to use is nine miles away from the border and the barrier is mined and made of heavy steel. If anyone touches it, it explodes.

Barney and Willy drive a truck through the border barrier and the guards check their cargo of auto parts. Everything is in order and they’re allowed to pass.

Paris arrives in the country, posing as a language teacher on sabbatical and there to arrange for Danov’s burial. Meanwhile, Jim and Dana arrive at the border and present their papers, and are passed through.

Barney and Willy go to a warehouse and begin assembling the assembly of the parts they brought in.

Paris goes to the mortuary and asks to make funeral arrangements for Danov, a hero of the revolution. He wants Alexi and Anna there, and the mortician doesn’t care as long as he gets paid in advance.

Two agents keep Anna under surveillance and follow her to the town square where she feeds the pigeons each day. The agents report to Petrovich and watch her as a street sweeper walks by. It’s Paris, in his same disguise, who tells her that her “trip” is being arranged and sends her to a nearby phone booth for further instructions. The agents realize that Paris is making contact, take photos of him, and split up to watch both of them. Meanwhile, Anna goes to the phone booth and gets a call from Barney. He tells her that preparations are underway and tells her to remember the name Marcus Danov, and then hangs up.

Jim and Dana, posing as publisher and his sister, attend a party hosted by Alexi. Anna arrives and Jim takes notice of her. She asks for a moment in private with Alexi, who leaves Jim with one of their authors. Before she goes, Anna says that she’s looking forward to speaking more with Jim. Once they’re alone, Anna tells Alexi what she was told and that everything is going to plan. Meanwhile, one of the agents from the square arrives.

Willy and Barney assemble some kind of vehicle at the warehouse when Dana comes in.

Anna returns to the party and asks Jim all about America. Paris comes in, wearing the same disguise as before, stands in front of the agent from the square, and has a maid deliver an envelope to Jim. The agent takes it after Paris leaves, reads it, and tells the maid to give it to Jim and then calls Petrovich and tells him that the message is from someone who has abducted Jim’s sister. Petrovich has his people prepare to trace the call that Jim is waiting for, and they confirm that Paris was the man at the square. Petrovich figures that he’s the American intelligence operative and now they just have to watch and figure out how he plans to get Anna and Alexi out of the country.

Willy plays a tape recording of noises from the docks as Barney calls Jim at the Kerkoska home. Meanwhile, Anna asks Jim about the earlier call and he assures her that it was just his sister. Alexi tells Jim that he’s received a call and then asks Anna if she has a special interest in Jim, and she dismisses his interest. Meanwhile, Barney tells Jim that they have his sister and puts Dana on the line to play the role of the sister. Petrovich listens in as Barney tells Jim to go to a record shop and wait to be contacted. Once the call ends, Petrovich’s assistant Stefan tries to trace the call without success, and his superior tells him to assign surveillance teams to the record shop. Meanwhile, Barney and Willy go back to assembling what appears to be a small car while Dana prepares a coffin.

Jim goes to the record shop and finds Paris waiting for him. He plays a polka to provide cover noise and stage a conversation in front of the window. Petrovich’s agents filter out the noise, as intended, and Petrovich and Alexi listen as Paris threatens to kill Jim’s sister unless he helps American intelligence get the Kerkoskas out of the country. Paris tells Jim to tell Alexi that he wants Anna to write a book about Alexi’s father and mention the name Marcus Danov. Once the two agents are done talking, Petrovich assures Alexi that they’ll keep an eye on Paris, and that Alexi is to string Jim along.

With some help from Willy posing as a worker, Paris manages to elude the agents following him long enough to change out of his disguise and don a worker’s uniform.

Anna is at home playing the piano for Jim and Alexi. Once she’s done, she shows Jim a music box from her hometown. Jim talks about the book concerning their father and Anna agrees, and he suggests they go to work immediately. They walk in the park and Anna relates her memories of her father and how he could have his political enemies executed and still cry over them. She finally admits that she can sense something hidden about Jim as well and they kiss.

An angry Petrovich gets word that his agents failed to follow Paris and calls Alexi to his office. Alexi doesn’t recognize the photo of Paris, and Petrovich warns him that he’s made sure his superiors understand that the entire plan was Alexi’s. If it fails, Alexi will be shot.

Anna and Jim meet in the forest and she admits that Jim is her first love. However, she admits that it is the wrong time for her to love, but it’s all the time they have.

At the warehouse, Paris prepares a mask, Dana gets out a suit, and Barney and Willy start up the engine on what is now a go-kart.

Jim and Anna walk and she realizes that it’s the end of their time together. She tells Jim that they can’t see each other from now on because he’s in danger. Anna tells him that she and Alexi plan to defect and that Jim can’t be involved. However, he tells Anna that his sister has been kidnapped and he’s being forced to help her. He keeps up his charade and says that his sister means more to him than Anna does, and that he had to keep silent rather than risk his sister’s life.

Barney calls Jim at the Kerkoskas and puts Dana on the line. She tells Jim to take Anna and Alexi to the mortuary for Danov’s funeral and then hangs up. Petrovich, listening in, confirms that Danov is to be buried and orders Stefan to inform the undertaker to do what he’s being paid to do. Meanwhile, Jim tells Alexi about the funeral and he agrees to attend so they can escape. He asks Anna what she wants to take with her and she admits she isn’t sure what to take. Anna and Alexi pack their jewelry and valuables and then he goes to get the car.

Paris breaks into the Kerkoska home posing as a janitor and goes into a closet, and puts on his Alexi mask.

Barney drives a hearse to the mortuary while Petrovich’s agents look on.

As they prepare to leave for the funeral, Anna insists on taking along a cigarette box which is also a music box. Alexi tries to take it from her to speed things up but she refuses to give it to him. He realizes that their father’s list is hidden inside and grabs it from her. It drops and shatters, and Alexi realizes that the names are hidden on the music cylinder via a musical code. He goes to the phone to call Petrovich and Anna realizes that she’s been tricked. Paris steps out of the closet, now looking like Alexi, and Jim stuns Alexi with a karate chop.

The agents give Alexi a sedative to keep him out and then hide him, and Jim explains that he’s an American agent there to get her out. He assures her that he wants her, not just the document, but Anna accuses him of using her just to get the list. Jim assures her that what he said to her before is true and he loves her, and she agrees to go with them.

Jim, Paris, and Anna arrive at the mortuary and Barney brings in Danov’s coffin. Barney then slips Jim an inflatable dummy before taking the coffin into the parlor. Petrovich’s agents keep their superior apprised and Petrovich tells them to wait until Alexi gives the signal. Paris and Anna check the coffin and then Paris has the mortician take Anna to freshen up while he waits in the parlor. Barney wheels the coffin out and Dana, dressed like Anna with a veil, emerges and switches places with Anna. Jim activates the auto-inflating dummy of himself and props it up with Paris and Dana, and then slips out the door. The agents in the chapel see what they think is Jim and Dana in the curtained parlor and assume everything is going as planned.

Barney has Anna slip out from the coffin trolley and into the hearse. Petrovich’s agents report that the hearse is leaving and he figures that it’s a decoy. However, when his agents on the inside report that Alexi and Anna are still in the parlor rather than going to the cemetery, Petrovich figures something has gone wrong. He tells his man to check on the mortician while he drives over to check on things in person. The agents go in and find the unconscious mortician and Dana (still posing as Jim's sister) and Paris, tied up. Paris tells them that Jim has escaped with Anna and the Americans left Dana in her place. Petrovich pulls up outside and Willy is there, posing as a security guard. The police chief tells Willy to take Paris and Dana back to headquarters while he goes after the hearse.

Barney pulls over and Jim drives the go-kart out of the back of the hearse with Anna on-board. They go back past Petrovich in the pursuing car and head for the border post. They go under the mined gate and through the tunnel to freedom, while Petrovich brakes just in time. Crying, Anna says that she doesn’t know what freedom means or who she is, but Jim assures her that she will. She asks if his loving her was a lie and Jim assures her that none of it was. Anna asks him to wait until she can discover for herself who she really is, and Jim says that he’ll wait as long as it takes.